FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sparks – Game 8 – 2022
Las Vegas Aces (7-1) | Los Angeles Sparks (2-5)
For the seventh time this season, the Las Vegas Aces had five players score in double figures en route to a 104-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The offensive showcase saw a franchise record fall and pushed a WNBA record to its brink.
With four straight losses heading into their seventh game of the season, Monday would be the day that the Los Angeles Sparks got back on track. And Liz Cambage was going to lead the charge in a spirited effort from start to finish against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces.
The script was written, but the Hollywood story did not go as planned. Instead, the Sparks hope what happened in Vegas on Monday night stays in Vegas.
Before Cambage and her crew could get comfortable, the Aces had already bombarded them with threes. A’ja Wilson’s back-to-back threes to open the game set the tone for what was getting ready to become a historic night at Michelob Ultra Arena. Las Vegas used seven 3-pointers to bolster a franchise-best 39 first-quarter points to quickly erase any optimism in the Sparks’ minds that they would end their skid.
“Obviously, we were pretty locked in from the jump,” said Becky Hammon following the win. “They were locked in. Twenty-seven to seven on the assist-to-turnover ratio in a 40-minute game is a really good job. (We were) shooting some open ones early on, and basketball is a game of confidence. You see one of two go in the basket and people get rolling.”
The term “rolling” is an undersell in describing what the Aces accomplished on Monday night. Vegas would finish the night with 18 total made 3-pointers, which set a franchise record and tied a WNBA record for makes in a single game. Six Aces players made at least two shots from 3-point land, including five from Kelsey Plum and four from Chelsea Gray to lead the way.
SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU GOT, ROOK 😤@Dotmug_330 // #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/tgAAdzyY1q
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) May 24, 2022
“They caught us on a night,” said Hammon.
Yet, even one of the franchise’s best performances on offense wasn’t enough to get the coach’s mind off of the defense her team displayed.
“I was actually more happy with our defense holding that team to 76 points,” said Hammon. “When we defend, we become special. When we guard like we are capable, I like us.”
The Aces dominated both offense and defense, leading to a 104-76 win to keep them atop the WNBA standings. The win for Las Vegas also kept Sparks towards the bottom of the standings and spoiled Liz Cambage’s return to the city she called home for three seasons.
KEY PERFORMERS:
A’ja Wilson – 24 PTS, 6 REBS, 2/4 3PT
Jackie Young – 19 PTS, 9 REBS, 5 ASTS, 2/2 3PT
Kelsey Plum – 17 PTS, 4 REBS, 8 ASTS, 5/8 3PT
Chelsea Gray – 14 PTS, 5 ASTS, 4/6 3PT
Kierstan Bell – 12 PTS, 2/4 3PT
Las Vegas will have four days off before it heads to Chicago to try and extend its winning streak to six games. The Aces will take on the defending champion Sky on Saturday, May 21st, and you can catch the game live at noon PST on ABC. Check back with us after the game for a recap and analysis.
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-Cole Huff– Franchise Sports Media
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